BY DAN VALENTI

PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY

(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY FEB. 25, 2019) — This year, with ideologues such as Alexandria Ocascio-Cotez, Kamala Harris, and Bernie Sanders presidentially chirping from the extreme left-leaning branches, THE PLANET offers a few thoughts on a topic often mentioned by commentators on this board when debating the merits and demerits of socialism and capitalism. These musings are by no means exhaustive, nor are they complete. We offer them as the tinder to spark the flames of discussion.

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Such organizational systems were the inevitable offspring of civilization. Once people began leaving the hostilities of competing and warring small tribes to form true communities, it quickly became clear that some form of corporate organization of power (politics) and production (capital) would be necessary. No one sat down to invent these systems. Rather, they were given birth by social necessity and evolved according to social need.

Communal consideration requires a huge amount of individual surrender, since no one or two or any small number of people can provide the products and services needed to sustain a village, town, or city. Humans inherently crave freedom, but only after the basic needs of food, drink, shelter, safety, and clothing have been addressed. That provides the essence of the communism v. capitalism debate. How much freedom should the individual have? How much security should the State impose?

Communism puts the group over the person with the promise of security. Capitalism elevates the person over the group with the pledge of liberty. In each, there has to be compromise, because pure systems don’t work in “real life.” In some ways, China is more capitalistic that America, and the U.S. is more socialistic than China.

The systemic left-to-right range covers full-flown communism from the left and all-out capitalism from the right. Complete group control or no group control. In the middle, we find socialism. In their purest form, which only exists in theory, communism touts central planning without local input; capitalism offers individual enterprise free from governmental constraints, the only control being provided by the free market. Both pure forms are unrealistic in practicality. They exist without blemish on the flipchart or whiteboard, but when implemented, they fail, as any good reading of history shows. They fail because of greed.

Authentic communism, the kind practiced by the early Christians, lies beyond human ability once the number of people goes beyond a certain (and small) number. One will never achieve equality of the masses. To pretend such a feat only ends up with an elite ruling class lording it over a wretchedness of the masses. Dictatorships of the Proletariat might looks good on parchment in a statement of principles, but they never work. We get the nightmares of Orwellian Big Brothers. Unchecked capitalism without exception ends up rewarding the cheaters, schemers, and those who carpetbag their way to wealth, the rest be damned. It’s clear, then, that the left and right must both move toward center if society has any chance of order and stability as well as a modicum of liberty.

Capitalistic economies have been by far the more successful because, unlike communism, it accounts for human greed, that universal impulse of the human heart. It stands to reason, then, that for all practical purposes, the best system leans off center but decidedly to the right. This avoids authoritarianism (totalitarianism, fascism, dictatorship, or monarchy) and the unprincipled odysseys of unchecked freedom.

Consequently, if we think of the comm-cap scale as a continuum, with total communism as 0 on the left and unmodified capitalism as 100 on the right, probably a 75 would be optimal. For comparison, we would put Massachuetts probably at 40, with Pittsfield being hooked on public treasuries of city, state, and federalism at 25, maybe below, reflective as it is of a political economy with far too few good-paying jobs, oppressive taxation, central planning, and out-of-control government spending. As that “25” keeps falling, it spells the inevitable collapse of a once fine small city.

We’d love to hear your thoughts.

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“Few things are less necessary when walking around the moon than knowing what time it is in Houston, Texas” —Buzz Aldrin, second man to walk on the moon.

“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”

LOVE TO ALL.

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80 Responses to “COMMUNISM, CAPITALISM, AND SOCIALISM: LIFE IN THE RIGHT MIDDLE”

Massachusetts is 60% socialist according to the Planet yet is number 1 in education which is a socialist idea and number 1 as a economy. Socialist Capitalism.Spread the word.Alabama is a good comparison.

Totally agree,public education reform conservative agenda to destroy thought.Spend 12 years learning 400 ways to add 2 plus 2.This speaks to why the republican party feared widespread education of the masses who would stop listening to their propaganda.Lets get back to widespread old school education and exposure to all things and all thoughts.

I believe the economic system – capitalism, socialism, communism – is secondary to the “Iron Rule of Oligarchy”. This political rule states that whatever organizational system is in place, there will be rulers or “haves” versus the ruled or “have-nots”. In capitalism, the oligarchs hold political power through their wealth. In socialism, the oligarchs hold political power through a combination of business and government. In communism, the oligarchs hold political power through the government. To be clear, no matter what economic system is used by the respective state entities, the oligarchs hold all of the power. The greed factor is more about power than money.

The political science story about the grasshopper and the ant. All summer long, the ant worked to store food and make shelter for the winter. Meanwhile, the grasshopper didn’t bother to prepare for winter. During the winter, the ant was strong with food and shelter, and the ant told the hungry grasshopper that he should have worked instead of enjoyed the summertime. The hungry grasshopper looked at the ant, and then the grasshopper ate the ant.

That is the allegory of politics. No matter how much the ruled, have-nots, powerless try to prepare for their economic security, there rulers, haves, and powerful can take from them for their benefit. That is the “Iron Rule of Oligarchy”!

Just look at the 2008 financial collapse on Wall Street. The masses were used as an insurance policy to be cashed in to save the Haves!

With total communism being a 1 and total capitalism being a 100, I would put Pittsfield at around 15. The local government is completely out of touch with the people and only cares about promoting an agenda. The agenda is everything. The needs of the people are way down on the list. I have many good memories of the city, but that was years ago when the city was actually good and doesn’t apply to the current situation we are facing today with high crime, drugs everywhere, deteriorating roads, poor city leadership on all levels, and agenda driven politics.

Dan,this is the Mayor showing she is in touch with people who can’t pay her taxes.We need a business manager who knows how to run budgets.If you look at the schools budgets have nothing to do with performance.

Well put. Me and many I know have applied for jobs with the city we are all very qualified for. Nary a phone call. Why? We’re not part of the connected.
Then people wonder why Pittsfield is in such poor shape.

In order to be a healthy country we need to be more right of center. We don’t want to go the way of Venezuela in which the government has all the money and power and the people are COMPLETELY dependent on government for their EVERY need. That situation would also mean total loss of personal freedom. Total capitalism would be bad as government does have a role to play in helping the disabled and providing unemployment assistance, social security, etc.. We need to be around 65 to 70 if total communism is 0 and total capitalism is 100.

The healthy economies who make great wealth for the top 1 % is not The goal Pat.Think about it and you might agree you wealthy people need to have a greater impact on health retirements and our country’s debt and infastructure responsibilities The country is asking for your help and not leave it to the bottom to pay the bills.

Another excellent article Dan. My only disagreement is on “In the middle, we find socialism”. Socialism is not in the middle. It’s Communism’s sister. Both sprang from Marxism. A good analogy is comparing Shiite and Sunni disciplines of Islam. They are the same ideology with some minor differences. Minor enough to go to war over.

SS needs to be raised by 50% and not be taxed.Pat if you retire from the state or mini system you get 80% of you Paycheck.That is the number 1 problem.There needs to be a cap.A college president should not be retired on 400 k per year.Cap it at 60k or 50 k and everybody wins.Tax unlimited income on AS and raise Departments by 50%.State courts pay retirements at 5k to 15k a month,that’s not sustainable for people making 25k to support .We grandfather everyone in and start new tomorrows

Yup…GREAT take Dan. The continuum is well explained and I am thrilled that Pat took your number even lower than your 75% as the ideal mix! And in fact, I think she and I might just about agree on that number; 65%. Greed has done wonders for this country, and as a person who made my living in the dread private sector, there is little more powerful than incentivization to get results!

I think the truly wealthy should pay more, and I think it should be made so that “paying more” is not a shell game as it is currently. As the president and many others on all political sides have shown, once the IRS sets the rules, they will find an army of CPAs who can defy them!

I also believe that basic needs should be met; food, shelter, health care…as you stated above, and that people should mostly need to work to guarantee those benefits are met. I believe that the government should be involved in infrastructure building, education (paying for it, not dictating what it is or how to do it!), law enforcement and a few other critical areas. I feel like corporate regulation is important as, again, greed will win out there as well in things like product safety, air/water/ground pollution, banking, drug development, food safety, etc. but that those regs should be minimal and common sense.

I don’t think any of that makes me the raving leftist I have been made out to be here in the past, but that’s not up to me. I will tell everyone that NO ONE on the left (left of me even!) considers anything near 0, or even below 25-30% to be a worthy goal. Nor do they want anything approaching open borders. Sanity will do fine. Thanks Dan.

Mr. G,, the far left wants to take this country to 10 to 15 on that scale of Total Communism being 0 and Total Capitalism being 100. Just imagine the whole country being as messed up as Pittsfield. We should all run from the far left and the Green New Deal as fast as we possibly can!!!

Pat, I think you are exaggerating. I would say that even what Bernie Sanders advocates is closer to 25-30%. There is just no appetite for real communism in this country…everyone is too greedy and self centered!

MR G
Thanks. You have reasonable stated a well-thought-out position. I agree: Basic needs should be met, including national defense (as opposed to an adventuristic offense) and national health. Other than that, federal government begone. Local and state governments are usually enough for most day-to-day needs. Also sympatico with your observation about education. Leave federal and state government out of the dictation. Education should be a local affair. You best line of the penultimate one: “Sanity will do fine.”

When normal people start to describe normal expectations of great wealth produced by the citizens of America as leftist and that party describes multi millionaires and billionaires as having given there fair share and blue collar middle and lower middle as expecting affordable healthcare and good schools with reasonable SS checks in retirement as asking to much …..billionaires adding billions is sick,sick,sick.Why does the middle support wealthy except fear taught from their media.Right wing media.

The Clintons, Obama, Pelosi, Warren, etc. are in the top 1% and they get alot of support from their followers.
I’ve got news for ya – both parties are for the rich and neither is for the middle class. They just support different types of wealth.

I will add Mr. G. that government should NOT be involved in telling us no more cars, no more planes and all the cows must die. In addition, the Green New Deal contains these nasty items so that is a no go. Healthcare should NOT be government ruled. Healthcare is too complicated to be under government control. We want compassion and kindness in our healthcare and those would NOT be provided by stone cold government bureaucracy.

So sad watching an extremely indoctrinated group of young children and their indoctrinating teachers confronting Diane Feinstein. Feinstein told them that the New Green Deal is a fairy tale and can’t happen in this country. It was chilling to listen to the kids who had been scared by their so-called teachers into believing that they would all die in 10 years unless the Green New Deal passes. What kind of adults would frighten children like that!?! All to promote an agenda!?!

Pat sounds like the Democrats are all confronting each other with ideas and critique of ideas in the same party of politics.In God’s name when will Regressives confront vulgar talk,deficits, greed,SS,healthcare.You guys will never get to think in the way democrats do,ideas battered around .You guys live in fear.Regressive Trump fear.

The State is ready to take over Herberg Middle School because bullying and low scores.There apparently are more bullies in Herberg as this is not addressed than can pass the tests.
Pittsfield spends million on test passing and nothing on bullying.The atmospheres is effecting the kids.Seven months in to the year and bullies are the only ones in charge.

Fear mongering of climate change killing everyone in 10 years if the Green New Deal isn’t passed. This is especially evil when directed toward children. “Look at all the money you spend on the military” says one kid who must be like 10 years old. Is there any doubt the schools are promoting this frightening far left agenda?

Take all the money you’ve paid in health insurance premiums, college tuition, and all allied expenses for both, as well as anything you’ve squirreled away for retirement for the last five years. Average these as a percentage of your overall income.

Now tell me, what’s the difference between you paying it all on your own versus you paying less but paying it in the form of taxes.

Can you honestly call Germany, one of the world’s strongest economies, Socialist? I don’t think so Julia.

Pat,if you don’t work for a private company that has no tax dollar business your into socialism.City,State,Fed employment or work for Medicare dollars or get paid by social security dollars and or state ,fed,city retirement dollars your or Private companies working for military contract dollars are all for the social collective good….There is no capitalism with out those tax dollars.

As a counterpoint I’ll mention that public schools are free to all but paid for by us taxpayers. Yet we are still a nation of ignorant bumpkins.
But I agree that higher education should eventually be free… for everyone. Not just low income losers not willing to work. But it would be so darn expensive and difficult to implement it may be a pipe dream.
You have to be alert to all the lies the Democrats tell. When they say ‘Preschool for everyone’ it’s an outright lie. It’s really only preschool for low income welfare losers paid for by those of us who actually work. Just like Obamacare.
You can bet their version of free higher education would be the same. You work, you pay. You don’t work, welcome to free handouts paid for by the taxpayer.

The rubber will meet the road this week on another mayoral initiative — Tyer is appointing 10 members to the newly formed Police Advisory and Review Board. The board is charged with serving as a liaison between the Pittsfield Police Department and the public, reviewing complaints filed about officers and making relevant policy recommendations.

Tyer’s chosen board members include Human Rights Commission Chairman Drew Herzig, Chief Probation Officer Alf Barbalunga, the Rev. Sloan Letman of Second Congregational Church and Erin Sullivan, of Berkshire Children and Families.

She will most definitely stack it heavily in favor of what is good for her buddy running the force. It will be a useless façade typical of the smoke and mirror charade that is her office. Put a couple of more Pinocchio’s in her overflowing bucket.

The entire liberal media and the public schools brainwash the adults and the children. This is how we end up with something as crazy as the Green New Deal and Ocasio Cortez being the face of the future, a very frightening thought.

They are all paid liars. Just like Joe, Mika, Maddow and thier ilk. They are paid to follow an agenda. Truth doesn’t matter.
You can’t say talking heads on Fox are wrong yet talking heads on MSNBC and CNN are right. It just shows how biased and caught up in mindless group think you are.

Ocasio Cortez wants women to consider not having children to save the environment. Illegal immigrants pouring into the country who also have a high birth rate, that’s just fine. Americans are being encouraged to not have children, but to have abortions while the far left says we need more people in the country due to an aging population. It’s obvious they prefer illegal immigrants instead of Americans.

The far left also blocked a bill yesterday to protect babies born live after an abortion. The same babies that the Virginia Governor said would be kept comfortable while awaiting their fate. This is beyond disgusting!! All lives matter!!!

I agree, Pat. Yesterday’s vote against the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act is a travesty.

“Infanticide should not be a partisan issue. Every Senator should agree, regardless of party, that a living child should be cared for, not disposed of like medical waste no matter the circumstances of his or her birth.” Sen James Lankford

The Nazis were called out on it and they supposedly stopped, but they continued doing it behind the scenes. This country has total silence except for FOX news and Glen Beck and a few others, but no liberal news reported on it. Really frightening!!!

Never had less people coming across than we have today,lowest in 45 years.America is very conservative except for regressive debt.Demorats are genuinely middle of the road with Trumps supporters so far far right nobody else in sight.Liberal democrats want what regressives dont want,healthcare,education,Higher Social Security checks and more rich people carrying their load.We all in one form or another get paid by each other paying taxes.

I just watched 10 minutes of Fox news. Not being a total idiot myself I was able to discern that what they were saying was totally misleading and bogus bullshit. Anyone who takes these clowns serious is in a bad state mentally.

In fact they might want to consider changing the name of the station to the JUST HOW STUPID ARE YOU channel.

This city is burning and politicians are figuring out how to raise math score when nobody cares about this insane testing. Pittsfield is the bully city of youth.What parent wants to sent middle school age kids to that swamp of verbal violence at Herberg school.Mccandless,Yon,Mayor Tyer are in denial about that building.The bully city is alive and well.Hate speech headquarters is Herberg school.Put on sneakers mayor ,it’s your problem mayor ,yon,taylor,Curtis 7 months in and you don’t do your job.